The Ruthless Calculus
by Azreal1313
Summary: The second wizarding war drags on for another bloody decade after the 1st battle of Hogwarts. After Tom Riddle's final defeat, six survivors decide to go back in time, to try to change the fate of all those they love. Ruthless, determined, and broken, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Luna, and Neville return to their Hogwarts years to fight again the war they already won.
1. Chapter 1

Too High A Cost

Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **_**It should be noted that this story is massively AU post HBP. This version of DH is much darker, much bloodier, and much harsher. Expect a ruthless, pragmatic Harry. Rated "M" for Violence, some vulgar language, and the possibility of mature content later in the story.**_

_**As always, I own nothing.**_

Harry Potter limped his way across the broken, charred stone. Blackened bones dotted the courtyard, memoirs of the souls who had fallen here ten years ago. A decade ago, fiendfyre had swept through these halls, consuming all in its path. The battle which was meant to end the war had simply become the beginning. He looked up to the shattered remains of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers. The students there, most still asleep, hadn't stood a chance the evil flames had swept over them without remorse, slaying all. At the time, Harry had wept for the children who died that day. Now he was glad that they were spared the horrors that were too come later. Today, it had all ended. Tom Riddle was dead, for good this time. Ten years of guerrilla warfare, and an ever growing list of dead had finally ended today. The cost had been too high.

The First Battle of Hogwarts had claimed the lives of over two hundred students, as well as those of Minerva McGonagall, Pamona Sprout, Sybill Trelawney, Rubeus Hagrid, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. The attacks afterwards had been worse. Three-fourths of the order of the phoenix were killed in a single night. Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Lupin, and their infant son were tortured and then killed by Bellatrix LeStrange. The Burrow was attacked, With Molly and Arthur Weasley laying down their lives in order to save their children. Voldemort himself led the assault on Grimauld Place, smashing through the fidaleus and crushing the remains of the order and the ministry.

The survivors of the so called "night of tears" had engaged in a costly guerrilla war against the death eaters, making the dark wizards pay dearly for each meter of ground they took. It wasn't long before the war spilled across Britan's barriers to the continent. When the wizards from the continent joined the fray, hope had momentarily become visible, as Voldemort was temporarily pushed back. It didn't last, and soon Beauxbatons met the same fate as Hogwarts. Madame Maxine had made the death eaters pay dearly by succeeding in killing Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange before she was felled. Fleur and Charlie Weasley died in a valiant attempt to rescue Gabriella and the other student.

All seemed lost, with the Bulgarian Ministry, and Durmstrang joining Voldemort's banner. With the Americans refusing to lend aid defeat seemed inevitable. What turned the tide of the war was the betrayal of Riddle by Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy that resulted in the death of Voldemort's entire inner circle, as well as the destruction of Nagini, the final Horcrux. While Snape's heroism cost him his life, Draco escaped to give intel to the remnants. That led directly to tonight, the Second Battle of Hogwarts. The final battle had taken a terrible cost. Of the surviving Weasley's only Ron had survived the night.

Tears threatened to spill down Harry's cheeks as he remembered the emptiness in Ginny's eyes after Voldemort's Avarda Kedarva had struck her. Time had seemed to stop as his she had fallen, the life leaving her in an instant as the green light washed over her. Fred and George had fallen soon after, but not before exacting revenge on Fenrier Greyback for Charlie. Percy had landed the first hit on Riddle before falling, a blasting curse that had almost destroyed the dark wizard's wand arm, and had left Riddle to duel with his off hand. Percy had died with a smile on his lips.

In the end, it had come down to Tom Riddle and Harry Potter. The two had stood just outside the ruined castle, atop the corpses of both their dead, each bloodied and nearly beaten. The battle had ended rather anticlimactically with Tom being a second too slow to dodge a Sectumsempra that separated his head from his body.

Harry held the elder wand loosely in his right hand, in his left, he carried the grisly trophy of the dark lord's head. As he limped into what had once been the great hall, the battered survivors of the order rose to greet him.

Ron stood closest to the door, a bloody rag across his now absent left eye. "It's done? It's over?" His voice was raspy and strained.

Harry tossed Riddle's severed head into the middle of the hall. "It's over."

Draco gave out a long sigh, and collapsed against the wall where he lay. His once silver blonde hair was now an unnamed shade of brown, caked with blood and dirt. "Finally."

Luna swayed on her feet, looking about to collapse. Her elfin face had long since lost any spark of joy. "Was it worth it?"

Neville quietly shook his head.

"The cost was too high." Hermione leaned on her improvised crutch, a blasting curse had removed her left leg below the knee.

"Far too high." Harry collapsed to the ground. "I don't think there are enough witches and wizards left in Britain, or Europe for that matter, to maintain a stable population. Magic might die in Europe."

"If only there were a way. A way to make this have happened differently." Ron collapsed beside his best mate. "To change everything."

Draco tried to laugh. It came out as more of a cough. "Yeah, a chance to begin again, with a clean slate." He rubbed his left arm, where the dark mark lay. "Merlin knows if I could do it again, I'd want to do it different."

"Maybe we can." Hermione's voice was quiet.

"What do you mean, even if the department of mysteries, and the whole ministry of magic wasn't destroyed, time turners can't go back that far in time." Neville shifted on the hard ground.

"There are other ways to go back in time. The Turners are just the most reliable and the safest. Normally it would be insanity to attempt any of the other methods, however, with the outcome of today…the worst that can happen is that we all die." She chuckled darkly. "And to be honest, I couldn't care less if I die right now. I mean, the only thing we have left to lose is each other."

Silence swept across the six. Hermione was right. Britain itself was just a cratered smoking ruin of its former self. London was a burned out ruin. Muggles had been rounded up by the millions and placed in concentration camps to be slaughtered like animals. Europe had lost almost five sixths of its former population. It had been genocide on an unprecedented scale. There was nothing left for any of them here. Aside from the six inside the room, everyone that any of them had loved was dead.

"I'm in." Harry rose to his feet.

"Heh. Why not. We are probably just going to die anyways." Draco struggled to stand.

"Me too." Ron gave a small determined smile, as he stood.

Neville rose. "Honestly, death doesn't even sound half bad."

A small glint of insanity had returned to Luna's once dreamy eyes. "We survive." She stood. "A nargle says so."

Her very Luna'ish words brought a small smile to everyone's lips.

"So, we are going to go back in time." Hermione drew her lips into a small frown. "I wish there was still the Hogwarts Library."

….

Six Months later, the six stood in a loose circle around the veil of death. The once deeply buried room was now exposed to the open air. This was of muggle doing, a devastating missile strike that had occurred when the statute of secrecy was destroyed.

Hundreds of complex runes, and delicate warding circles were drawn across the stone amphitheater.

"So, let me get this right." Draco drawled, "If ONE of these runes is even slightly miss-drawn, we all die horribly. If not, we go back in time to the day of the train ride to Hogwarts on our first year."

"I'm pretty sure I got them all right." Hermione frowned "I hope so anyway."

"What have we got to lose?" Ron gave Hermione a small kiss on the cheek. "I trust you, I know you got it right." He turned to the other six. "See you on the other side." A small grin, and he let himself fall through the veil.

Neville stepped forward next. "If this is the end…" He smiled grimly. "I just want to say…it was an honor." He too fell through the veil.

Luna calmly stepped through the veil without a word, just giving a small sad smile before she disappeared.

Draco turned to Harry. "Sorry it took me so long to see what side I should have fought for." He looked at Hermione. "Granger, thank you for a second chance." He vanished a second later.

Hermione looked at Harry. Tears welled in her brown eyes. "This is it." She gave him a hug. "Goodbye" she fell.

Harry took a deep breath to compose himself and then stepped forward.

Darkness consumed all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A second chance

"Dear, are you all right?" A motherly voice pierced the darkness.

Harry opened his eyes to see the face of Molly Weasley looking down at him in concern. It took all the willpower he possessed not to burst out in tears of joy. He was back standing before the entrance of platform 9¾, looking the entire Weasley clan returned to life, and Ginny…

Ginny…it hurt to see her. It hurt to see her young face, un-tainted by the years of war, and know that the girl he loved was dead. This Ginny was not his Ginny. Not the girl he had rescued from the Chamber of Secrets, not the girl he had fought back to back with, not the girl he had fallen in love with, not the girl he married. No, this girl was entirely different, and it cut him deeply to know that.

"Yes." He managed. "I'm looking for platform 9¾."

Molly smiled sweetly. "off to Hogwarts dear?"

He nodded.

"Come with us, It's Ron's first year as well." She quickly ushered the hoard of children towards the pillar. "it helps to have a little run at it."

Harry passed through the barrier without an issue, and quickly made it to the train with Ron to find an empty compartment. Only upon settling in, and casting a number of silencing charms did harry relax.

Ron gave a deep sigh. "I can't believe that worked. Seeing them all again…"

Harry nodded. "I know. It's both amazing, and painful at the same time."

"I can't stop seeing how they died when I look at them." Tears brimmed Ron's eyes. "Ginny was moaning about not getting to go to Hogwarts, and all I can see is her eyes…after…you know."

Harry did know. Those empty eyes had been a fixture of his nightmares for the past six months.

"And Fred, all I can see is Fenrir right after he ripped his throat out." Ron shook with silent sobs. "I just can't believe they are alive again."

The door of their compartment flew open with a bang. Draco and Hermione stormed in. Hermione closed the door with a fick of her wand.

Draco's face was red with rage. "I swear first thing I do when we get off for winter hols is AK my deatheating fuck of a father."

"What did he do?" Harry raised one eyebrow.

Draco paced the small compartment "He told me to find out if you were a 'mindless sycophant of the light' the next dark lord, or a useful tool, because even the sons of 'mudblood whores' might have some use." A wicked smile spread across Draco's face "I had half a mind to AK him then and there. I swear I killed him too slow last time."

Hermione turned to Ron and held out her hand expectantly. "Scabbers."

Ron handed her the rat. A few quick spells later, and Peter Petigrew couldn't transform into his human form on pain of death. Another quick wave of her wand and the rat was trapped in a small cage with bars far too close together for him to escape.

An image of how the rat animagus had murdered poor little Gabriella flooded into Harry's mind. The rat's silver hand crushing the little veela's throat as she begged for mercy.

"We should crucio the traitor." Ron growled. The darkness behind his eyes made it all too clear he was remembering the Rat's murders as well.

"I agree." Draco drew his wand. "Crucio!" The rat writhed in pain for thirty seconds until Draco ended the curse. "Feel that Peter? We know. We know everything, and we only need you alive to prove Black's innocence, the second Sirus walks free, you are a dead man."

Harry grinned as the rat huddled in a corner of his cage.

The door swung open again revealing Neville and surprisingly, Luna. Neville's face was worryingly serious. "Guys, we have a problem. Something's changed."

Luna was also uncharacteristically serious. "I am a first year, this year. I think our return must have triggered the wrackspurt effect. Or the butterfly effect for the less enlightened who stubbornly disbelieve the existence of wrackspurts."

That brought a small smile to each of the six's faces. A frown quickly formed on Hermonine's. "I haven't noticed any other changes, however, any change, no matter how small, is decidedly unsettling. Our greatest weapon in this is our foreknowledge."

Harry nodded. "We need a plan."

"What do we do about Horcruxs?" Neville offered.

"The diary should present itself next year." Harry shot a poignant look at Draco. "We need Lucius alive for that-"

Draco glowered. "Then I'm killing him right afterwards."

"Fine" Harry acknowledged. "As I was saying, we can use the chamber of secrets incident to take impregnate Gryffindor's Sword with basilisk venom. Before then we can't really deal with Horcrux's, Fiendfyre is far too dangerous, and far too un-reliable. From there though, the diadem should be incredibly easy to obtain, just go to the room of requirement and say 'I need a place to hide my Horcrux' over and over again."

That elicited a small giggle from Luna.

Hermione looked pensive. "The locket we can obtain as soon as we free Sirius, the ring is just at the gaunt shack, however, Nagini and the cup…now those will be difficult to obtain to say the least."

Neville shrugged "We could always imperio a deatheater, and hand'em a basilisk fang and let them loose at nagini. Heck, basilisks have lots of fangs, we could imperio a dozen deatheaters one of them has got to hit their mark."

It actually wasn't a half bad idea Harry thought. "We could actually add a command for them to try to AK as many other deatheaters as they can, add to the confusion."

Ron kicked Pettigrew's cage. "We also need to do all we can to sap Tom's power before he can come back. Maybe kill the death eaters he currently has in Azkaban. Also, sap his loyalty in Slytherin house." He nodded at Draco. "That's where you come in mate."

"We don't want to accelerate the time line too much however." Neville cautioned. "Particularly because although we kept our magic, our knowledge and our skills-" He looked down at his rather flabby body in disgust "Our bodies are rather…lacking at the moment."

"You are telling me!" Ron laughed. "Not having a libido is bloody weird!"

The rest of the trip was spent alternatively between plotting the dark lord's demise, and bemoaning the bodies that the six were stuck in. Sooner than the six thought possible they were standing in the great hall, waiting to be sorted for the second time.

"I know what happens, I've done this before, how am I still nervous?" whispered Ron.

"I don't know." Hermione whispered back. "But I understand, I'm as terrified as I was the first time."

Hermione was called up first. The hat spent five long minutes upon her head before it let out a deafening cry of "Slytherin!" A look of deep concern and fear was etched across her face. She mouthed "It knows." To the waiting five. Light applause came from the staff table only. Slytherin house looked horrified.

Neville was next. He too went to Slytherin.

Harry was beginning to get very very nervous. The sorting hat read memories to determine which house was best. It must know, he just had to hope that he or one of the others could convince it to keep their secret. That or just icindio the damn hat.

Luna was also sorted into slytherin, as was Draco to no surprise.

"Potter, Harry." McGonagall called him forward. A burning pit of dread opened up in his stomach as he slowly walked toward the stool. He could feel the eyes of the entire school upon him. He slowly raised the tattered hat and set it on his head.

_Well, well Mr. Potter. How many time travelers am I expecting today?_

"Just one more" Harry whispered.

_How very peculiar. So strange to see I once sorted you in Gryffindor. No longer, not by a longshot. Your little war changed you, made you cunning, clever, tempered you boldness. Perhaps for the better…Perhaps for the worse. _

"So I fit better as a slytherin, then? Like the rest."

_Indeed. I had…toyed with the idea of separating you from your allies for my amusement, however I hardly wish to have to sort you a third time. Also the threat of fires may have helped._

Harry scowled "You can't tell anyone."

_I cannot lie to the headmaster if he asks me directly. However, I greatly doubt there being any significant chance of him questioning me on if six of his students are actually twenty seven year old time travelers who returned through the veil of death._

_Anyway. "__**Slytherin!**__"_

Harry heard the whispers start almost immediately. Only the four of their six already at the slytherin table clapped at first. Then the snakes seemed to realize what happened, and the room exploded with noise. The cheering for him was deafening, louder even than when he had been chosen for Gryffindor. At the head table, Albus Dumbledore, and Severus Snape were wearing matching expressions of shock. He wished that he had Collin Creevy's camera to snap a photo of Severus's slack jaw.

Ron came soon after. As he sat on the stool, the entire room seemed to be assured that he would go to Gryffindor. The room went silent when the hat called out slytherin. The shock on Fred, George, and Percy's faces was clearly evident. Poor Severus looked like he was about to die.

This was going to be an interesting year indeed


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nothing Good Can Come (of this)

The feast passed uneventfully, the six tearing into their plates loaded high with vitals the likes of which they hadn't seen in over a decade.

Ron took a sip from his goblet and gave a quiet moan. "Bloody hell. I forgot the taste of pumpkin juice." He let a quiet sigh pass his lips. "Can you believe that? Forgot the taste of the stuff I drank for six years morning noon and night.

Neville snorted as he set his own goblet down. "Stuff is still ruddy awful."

"The nargles say it's not actually pumpkin juice. Its persimmon, everybody knows you can't juice a pumpkin you just get a purée." Luna's young eyes had once again regained their dreamy quality.

Ron chuckled. "I actually might have to trust our resident seer on this one. Dunno what a persimmon is but this sure doesn't taste anything like pumpkin."

Harry smiled slightly at the normality of it. A conversation about pumpkin juice of all things…it was almost easy to imagine the past eleven years hadn't happened, yet he could still hear the slight stiltedness of Ron's laugh, he could still see the haunted look in Neville's eyes, and he could see the slight wetness at the corner of Luna's lenses.

"You okay Harry?" Hermione gazed through him with eyes that saw straight into his soul.

"Yes. I think. Just remembering." He shook his head slowly, glad that they had, in addition to testing their food for poison, set up a number of privacy wards.

"Can't quite believe we made it." Draco looked far too old for his body, "I can't help but see the flames over and over in my mind."

Harry could sense the guilt rolling off the blond in waves. Draco hadn't become a double agent with Snape until that fateful night. Harry remembered clearly the look of horror and pain on Draco's face when he stumbled bloody into the ruins of the dungeons.

"_Pansy! Daphne! Blaise! Anyone?"_ He'd limped along until he found the twisted bones of those Slytherines who had the bad luck to not have yet taken the dark mark. Harry knew he still blamed himself personally for their deaths.

"Same." Hermione smiled grimly, "I don't think we ever will stop seeing them."

The remainder of the meal flew by in a blur, desserts disappeared in multitudes down the throats of children delighted to have escaped their parent's watchful gaze. Dumbledore gave his speech on the third floor corridor, eliciting laughs from the three who had gone through the 'exceedingly painful death' offered.

They made the way toward the dungeon and the slytherin dorms.

"Stick with me." Draco motioned to the six. "After all you don't actually know where the dorm is like I do."

Harry could feel his cheeks warm, and judging by the redness of Ron and Hermione's cheeks they had the same thought. "Actually we do."

Draco flat out stopped. "How?"

Hermione grinned nervously. "Well in our second year we thought you were the heir of slytherin, and well…wetookpolyjuicetoolooklikecrabbegoyleandmillicentandimayhaveturnedintoacat." She gasped for air.

"Hmm…"Draco mused. "I knew Crabbe couldn't read. What was that last bit?"

"Nothing!" Hermione whispered harshly.

Ron elbowed harry. "Can't believe that still embarrass her."

"I know too." Luna half walked half danced beside Neville, her slight form seeming almost insubstantial as she pirouetted and slid across the cobblestone floor.  
>"Does everybody know the location of the top secret slytherin dormitory!" Draco exclaimed.<p>

"Nargles told me." Luna smiled.

"Luna told me." Neville laughed.

"Gah!" Draco threw his hands up into the air. "I forget, everyone around me is mad!"

They all laughed even if it sounded forced and hollow to all of them.

The dungeons under the castle were a tangled warren of stone corridors filled with cold damp and rot. Rats snakes and spiders scurried here and there fleeing from the throng of firstyears led by the prefects. In one unassuming dead end the seventh year boy prefect whoes name escaped harry tapped his wand once against the wall and whispered 'Salazar.'

The Slytherin common room was much like a pallet swapped version of the Gryffindor common room, only without everything that made it warm and homey. Black leather couches and wrought iron chairs sat before an empty fire place and towering bookshelves.

As the first years trickled up to the dorms, the elder prefect pointed at Harry Hermione Ron Luna and Neville. "You lot stay here we have to talk."

Harry raised his eyebrow as the six subconsciously positioned Luna in the back out of harm's way. Her value in the war had bred a habit of protecting the little seer at all costs.

A group of other upper years gathered around the prefect. He began to pace. "You see, The Lovegood freak, two blood traitors, the boy who lived-" He sneered at harry. "And a filthy mudblood in the house of Salazar. Do you know what a shame that is?"

"Was I that bad?" Draco whispered.

"Yeah, maybe worse even. You were a right git." Ron chuckled

"I prefer newblood." Hermione's voice was cold as ice and hard as steel.

"What?" Snorted a sixth year.

"Just because my parents know that doing your cousins is a bad idea doesn't make my blood tainted. Genetics learn it." She grinned wickedly.

"You b-" The slytherins made for their wands, yet the six were faster. Only Hermione had not made a move.

She raised one hand in a 'hold' motion. "Easy now. I have to fight my own battles. Let me show these idiots what this 'mudblood' can do."

She strode towards the eleven or so upper years calmly her wand still undrawn.

"What do you think you are doing freak!" Hissed one of the seventh year girls.

"Teaching." Hermione said coldly before exploding into action. She had grown very adept at using wandless magic during the war and used it to full effect. She channeled power into her legs and leapt off the ground lazily somersaulting over the curses thrown at her. She landed gracefully before the prefect and smashed her palm into his sternum at the same time as casting a banishing charm that threw him across the room to hit the far wall with a dull thud.

A dark grin spread across her face.

oOoOoOoOoO

"What!" Snape screamed at the cowering form of Jamiline Janith his fifth year female prefect. "Are you trying to tell me that a firstyear muggleborn beat all eleven of you, without a wand?"

Eleven heads nodded vigorously.

"Have you lost your minds you blundering dunderheads! Are you trying to pull one over me? That's simply impossible." He pinched the bridge of her nose.

Eleven heads shook just as vigorously. They were rather reminicint of the muggle bobble heads that Dumbledore had an odd fondness for.

"S-she also s-said 'tell Severus to forget the Shack.' Professor." Jami was trembling in terror.

The shack? It couldn't be. No, it was too much of a coincidence that Potters spawn would arrive and then one of his cronies would mention that…day. Could Potter have told his son? No, he died too soon, and Petunia never would have. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, this was going to be a very long year.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione grinned wickedly from ear to ear as she stood over the pile of unconscious and stunned upperclassmen. "I do believe class is dismissed." Her words had a sharp feral quality to them as adrenaline flooded her system. She hadn't had a fight that good since the war ended, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss it. The challenge of not using a wand had been intended to level the playing field. It had failed.

Draco was holding a conjured stopwatch. "Ninety seconds from first spell cast." Gears turned in his head as he calculated. "So about eight point one eight repeating seconds per target. Not bad Mione, I think that's a record."

"Nope, record is seven point nine seconds for twelve in ninety five seconds. Remember when we found Fenrir's pack sans their alpha?" Ron grinned "I love bombarda maxima."

"I don't count any record set by you Weasley." Draco was smiling as he shoved Ron playfully.

Harry chuckled at his friends antics. "Come on guys, let's wake these fools up."

All six nodded and raised their wands "Envenerus Maximus!"

The eleven students woke up instantly scrambling to their feet searching for their wands. Unlike a normal envenerate their little spell also sent a good deal of adrenaline and endorphins into the system bringing the target to full alertness instantly.

Harry watched the upper years scramble for their now absent wands. He raised a bundle of the slender sticks. "Looking for these?"

"Give them back you little!" One sixth year girl snarled.

"I think not." Malfoy drawled as he leveled the tip of his wand against the bundle in his hand. "One reducto and its just so much kindling."

The slytherins faces blanched at the threat. "What do you want?" The girl spat, a rage visible in her eyes.

"Not much." Draco grinned broadly. "We just want you to spread the word of what happened here, and be honest. If you lie we will know, and we won't be happy." The upperyears paled again. "Two, we will be collecting favors from each of you at a later date."

"-and three, you will tell dearest Severus to forget the shack. We don't want any misunderstandings now do we?" Hermione raised an eyebrow as they all nodded frantically.

The six looked at each other, and nodded slightly before tossing the wands back. There was a frantic scrambling as the upperyears dove frantically for their wands, the thin wooden rods clattering noisily on the flagstones.

A few onlookers stood around the common room with wands drawn. No one looked like they were going to make a move, they just looked shocked, and kind of terrified. Still Hermione felt that a little extra intimidation couldn't hurt. She pushed as much magic into her hands as she could causing visible arcs of power to crackle between her fingertips. "Who's next?" She grinned wildly purposefully attempting to emulate Bellatrix Lestrange's mad smile. The onlookers seemed to be trying to melt into the walls, so she let the power slip back up her arm. "That's what I thought."

Draco led the group down one of the staircases to an even lower set of rooms. "Here, these are normally reserved for the children of Most Ancient and Most Noble houses, however-" His eyes twinkled with merriment. "-I doubt anyone will contest us claiming a few."

Harry nodded. There were six rooms in the corridor three on each side of the hall. "I say we sleep two to a room, just in case anyone gets any ideas. Take one side of the hall for ourselves."

"If we take three, we actually are within rules so Sev can't even do anything. We do have three Most Ancient heirs here. Potter, Longbottom, touch your palm to the blank stone immediately beside the left and middle doors." Draco gestured to the aforementioned doors before moving to the far right door.

Harry pressed his palm to the square flagstone that was raised against the wall. To his surprise there was a flash of light before the seal of the house Potter carved itself out of the stone. The neighboring door unlocked with a hiss, revealing a well-appointed suite. A small living room greeted him first, decorated not in Slytherin colors but instead in the burgundy and black of the house of potter. Tapestries hung from the wall showing the house coat of arms, a rampant lion, and crossed sword and wand sable, over a field of gules.

"Whoa…" Ron and Hermione stepped into the room after Harry. "I wonder if these rooms work like a limited form of the R of R."

As they stood in the living room the wall between it and the one Draco was in vanished. He stood covered in limestone dust looking slightly frazzled. "Well that was…unexpected." The wall instead of simply vanishing had become a light powder over everything in Draco's Black and Silver room. "I think I used too much power there."

Neville was likewise covered in powder and looking quite cross about the situation his wall was also missing. "Draco, you are why we can't have nice things."

"Easier to ward one entrance than three" Draco shrugged before conjuring a stone wall over Neville and Harry's doors.

"Good thinking mate." Ron transfigured a butter knife into a sharp Anthame and moved to the door to begin to carve warding runes into the soft wood.

The six moved fluidly throwing up wards, detection charms, privacy shields, as well as slowly removing the intricate monitoring charms that laced the room. In under an hour's time the room was a veritable fortress. Now that the six had a safe house, it was time for the real work to begin.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Suspicions Arise

"Bloody hell!" Hermione was pacing the combined mini common room of the six's small apartment. "What was I thinking? I completely blew our cover! What do we do? We can't just pretend to be normal students anymore."

"Mione, we aren't actors. I don't think we could have kept up acting like an eleven year-old. Bloody hell it's been sixteen years, I don't even remember what being eleven felt like, and you know we'd have screwed up on pretending to not know all the school work." Ron grabbed her arm trying to calm her down.

"So what then!" Hermione pulled away. "We can't tell people from the future! For one thing they wouldn't believe us, for two if they did it would destroy every plan we have! No one can find out about it, can you imagine if Riddle found out?"

Draco who had been carefully watching the debate chose now to speak. "Well I think the answer is blatantly obvious. We need to choose a new act. One easier to keep up."

"Thanks for the input Dray, that was overwhelming in its usefulness you must be the Buddha oh enlightened one!" Ron fell to the floor and mate a show of bowing to Draco.

"Shut up weasel!"

"Bouncing Ferret."

"Boys!" Hermione's voice was shrill. "Focus! We need to figure this out before breakfast! And that's in three hours!"

"We need something that can hide the oddities, the irregularities, and our powers. If we slip up and use too much power, forget to say a spell and cast it silently, or say something about the future we need to cover it up." Neville rubbed his temples as he spoke looking pained. "I hate this body." He grimaced.

"Luna!" Harry sat bolt upright.

"What?" The girl in question said.

"No Luna, I mean we need to act like Luna!" He too started pacing excitement flooding his veins with adrenalin. "She could read runes in her first year, had already mastered NEWT level charms by third year, and is a true seer, and we all missed it. Hell, we didn't notice truly until after the Night of Flame."

Luna nodded. "I see it now. Yes…this path will work best."

Hermione looked confused. "What?"

"We play the role of erratic prodigies. We have lived through the future so we are at the very least prophets, even if only Luna has the inner eye, it shouldn't be too hard to fake. We will need to play up quirks and oddities." Harry grinned triumphantly.

"Brilliant!" Ron clapped Harry on the back.

The six smiled as they made preparations for their act.

oOoOoOo

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore Order of Merlin first class, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the IWC sat at the head table and stared out at the assembled students and worried.

Specifically he worried about six students that hadn't yet made their way into the great hall. Severus had told him of the rather worrisome incident in the Slytherin common room. Eleven upper year students being defeated by a first year especially a muggle born who by all rights should have no spell casting experience to fall back upon. The rumors of it being wandless silent casting were likely exaggerations, perhaps created to lessen the shame of loss by increasing the skills of their vanquishers to near legendary levels. However the rumors warranted at the very least consideration. What truly consumed his thoughts however was that Harry had went to Slytherin. That had been unexpected, that the Weasley, Longbottom scions, and a muggle born all went as well was…suspicious.

Albus turned to query Severus the location for the six in question when he was stopped by the doors to the great hall swinging open. The six seemed to glide into the room, moving totally unencumbered by the bulging book bags slung over their shoulders. He immediately noticed that none of them had touched the door.

The muggle born, Hermione Granger he believed, was reading animatedly out of a book that was hovering a few feet before her in an impressive display of wandless magic. The Malfoy Scion was absentmindedly stirring a cup of coffee that was also floating along with his footsteps. The-Boy-Who lived yanked Grangers book away with a small wave of his hand and appeared to be countering a point made by the bushy-haired witch. He began to draw in the air with fire. Dumbledore recognized a proof for Gamp's Law's first exemption. Albus strained his ears.

"I'm telling you Hermione, Draco summoned that coffee, he didn't conjure it. That violates the First exemption of elemental transfiguration." Harry's voice was raised to a pitch.

"I know Gamp's, Harry. I'm just saying there is nothing intrinsic about the structure of coffee as a chemical that should prevent it from being conjured. Also, wandless magic is APPAARENTLY goverened by a whole different set of laws. Who knows if Gamps applies?" Hermione waved a fiery QED out of the air before her.

"I have no idea what I did, I just wanted coffee and a coffee cup appeared in my hand. It could have always been a house elf." Draco paused. "Wait…are house elves bound to Gamps."

"Yes." Answered Luna serenely. "However Nargles are not." The entire group nodded sagely.

"The schedule for today is Tranfiguration, History of magic, Magical Theory, Lunch, Charms, Herbology correct?" Neville asked as they made to sit the table end.

"So I see it, and remember, McGonagall is the cat." Luna nodded again before casually levitating a pile of pancakes onto her waiting plate.

Dumbledore was, well flabbergasted. Not only were two of the group still in a heated debate on the laws of transfiguration, the Longbottom and Lovegood scions appeared to have impossible foreknowledge of both the Slytherin class schedule, and of McGonagall's status as an animagus. That was to say nothing of the incredibly advanced magic all six displayed as casually as if it was naught but shooting sparks. They must be some kind of wandless prodigies in all his years he'd never seen such talent not even in Tom…Tom.

Albus Dumbledore decided to keep a very close eye on the six students.

oOoOoOO

"It worked!" Hermione laughed as the six exited the great hall.

Ron raised one eyebrow in question.

"He was so surprised he dropped his occulmency for a moment. Some quick passive legimancy and well, Albus fell for it hook line and sinker." Hermione grinned widely.

"Hook line what?" Draco asked.

"Muggle thing." Harry Hermione and Ron said at the exact time.

The six didn't notice, but they were drawing looks from the older students as they instinctively hopped vanishing stairs, and sidestepped sinking tiles with practiced ease all while talking animatedly. They easily made it to transfiguration first and slid into the first row of seats. After pulling out their books, parchment, and quills, as well as spelling those quills to record everything said in the class once it started, they sat back and waited.

"Hello Professor." Draco said, smirking slightly at the tabby on the large desk up front. It gave a mewl of shock and widened its eyes giving the poor Animagus a very comical look.

"It's alright!" Neville started.

"You see we were going to be late-" Ron continued.

"-And you were going to threaten to transfigure one of us into a map-" Harry said.

"-But we saw it-" Hermione said.

"-So we fixed it!" Luna finished cheerfully before rummaging in her bag. She pulled out a small cardboard box. "And we brought extra Matches too! The Nargles said we'd need them but the Wrackspurts disagreed."  
>Harry nodded along with Luna. "and you know what they say, never trust a Wrackspurt they make up everything…" he paused. "Oh wait that was atoms. But still it's a good concept, you really shouldn't trust Wrackspurts."<p>

Seamus Finnegan strolled in just then. "Why are you talking too a cat Snake? Are you barmy?"

"That's not a cat. It's the professor. Also Harry is a wizard not a snake although I understand the confusion. All that green you know, and he is awfully skinny." Luna of course played her role perfectly, almost too perfectly. She held up Harry's arm "See, no scales though, he's as much a pink hairless ape as the rest of us, just with worse eyesight."

Seamus looked stunned. "Okay…barmy for sure." He still moved to sit next to them.

Hermione winced. "I'm not so sure you should sit so close to us."

"What? You snakes are so-" Seamus fumed.

"Still not scaly, cold blooded, egg layers." Luna interjected brightly.

Draco of all people ran damage control. "No offence Finnegan, but well…you have a propensity for making things explode."

"No I don't!" Seamus exclaimed.

"Pumpkin juice into rum?" Ron asked.

"I haven't even tried that yet! Wait how do yo-"The now red-faced Gryffindor flushed even brighter almost matching the crimson trim of his robes.

"Oh really? I could have sworn that happened today?" Harry was puzzled and turned to their resident genius.

"Nope. Halloween. Then the feather incident." The bushy haired encyclopedia never failed.

"Oh, well then, good." Ron smiled at Seamus. "Just between us mate, don't try it. It doesn't end well. You lose an eyebrow."

Seamus was by this point beyond bewildered and just went with the flow. "Maybe sitting near you guys isn't such a good idea…"

Luna gripped his arm and pulled him into the last chair on their row. "Actually less explosions this way. Only three. Over there a desk catches fire…and Lavender."

"Lavender Brown?" The flustered Gryffindor paused in pulling out his supplies as more students slowly filled in. "Wait how do you know this stuff."

"Nargles." Luna quickly chimed in.

"Nargles." The rest of the group echoed, nodding as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Just then, a small clock on the main desk rang once, signaling the start of class. Just a minute later Theodor Nott and Pansy Parkinson stumbled in looking winded. "Good…made it." Theo panted. "And McGonagall isn't even here"

The cat leapt off the desk and transformed into their stern professor. "I wouldn't be so sure of that Mr. Nott. Perhaps I should transfigure one of you into a map so that at least one of you would be on time."

Most of the students gasped in shock. Seamus rocked backwards in his seat. "Merlin's pants! You were right."

A chorus of "Of course we were." Answered him.

McGonagall launched into a lecture detailing the dangers of transfiguration as well as covering basic theory. It did not escape her attention that six of her students weren't listening to her at all, instead reading far ahead, almost at the end of the first year textbook.

The lesson quickly turned practical with her transforming her desk into a pig as a demonstration. Then she passed out matches.

Hermione absent mindedly waved her hand over the match forming a perfect needle. McGonagall walked over to her desk and in numb shock picked up the sliver of silver metal and held it to her eye. Spidery script ran up its length. 'if you are reading this, a sharp metal object is too close to your eye.' She balked at the level of detail. It surely was a trick of some kind.

"Miss Granger can you reverse it?"

Hermione nodded and proceeded to revert the needle with a glare into a very average matchstick.

"Can you preform the transfiguration again?" Minerva's eyebrows were almost lost to her hair line in incredulity.

Hermione did creating an identical needle. So amazed was the transfiguration professor that she didn't notice that it was done wandlessly for a moment. "Miss Granger, where is your wand?"

Hermione shrugged. "My dorm" She wasn't going to admit that all of them were wearing conjured disillusioned dueling holsters holding their wands and conjured knives.

A vein almost burst on McGonagall's forehead. "Why don't you have your wand?"

Luna answered for Hermione and by extent the group. "We just don't see the point. I mean we can cast just as easily if not easier without one, and they seem like such an obvious weakness."

McGonagall was to put it politely stunned. "ten points to slytherin for each of you." She muttered before stumbling off to prevent a migraine. Luna smiled and set a new match on seamus's desk just before his old one detonated.


End file.
